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Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Regards ... Tim
http://hyperallergic.com/252028/wax-seals-and-refused-love-in-a-17th-century-trunk-of-undelivered-letters/
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That is very interesting. Thanks for posting this!
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Wow, what a treasure trove that is. I can't believe it has been undisturbed all these years. Should be a great insight into everyday life for that era, including the refused love letter.
Mike
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It has been in the news over here quite prominently. it seems the postmaster kept the letters in the hope that some day the recipients would change their mind and wanted the letters they had refused. He called the chest his "piggy bank".
The weirdest thing of the whole story to me is the fact that the chest had been in the museum since 1926, with all the letters in sight and yet noone decided to read the letters. Of course, reading 17th century French handwriting is pretty difficult, but nevertheless. Now the most important feature of this discovery is not the content of the letters, but the letters themselves. The fact that they have remained unopened and are still intricately folded is the real sensation to most scholars.
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10:56:53am
" .... The weirdest thing of the whole story to me is the fact that the chest had been in the museum since 1926, with all the letters in sight and yet no one decided to read the letters. ...."
I guess we should be glad they were, as I can imagine someone tearing them open looking for something of value. Once in a while we come upon someone who has a few 19th century stamps that were removed from letters in a relative's trunk that had been found in the dusty back corner of the attic, by being steamed or soaked off.
Some of the stamps may have been common and a few might have some premium but those who appreciate history ache at the thought of what the "entire' would have fetched.
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"The weirdest thing of the whole story to me is the fact that the chest had been in the museum since 1926, with all the letters in sight and yet noone decided to read the letters."
Every day, the museum staff would come to work and face the same question (what do to about that trunk) and the same facts (don't want to damage the goods, don't have anyone demanding action, 3D Xray Tomography has not been invented yet) and would reach the same conclusion (leave it for tomorrow).
Even the one fact that did change (the trunk has been here N-thousand days, the trunk has been here N-thousand-plus-one days) might not convey urgency.
As the article points out, people's concerns haven't changed that much ...
"“What is striking to me is the fact that so many of the concerns expressed in these really old letters are just the same as today: parents worried about their children, wives angry at delinquent husbands, and colleagues who keep in touch with each other over time and distance,†Ahrendt told Hyperallergic."
... and the museum's behavior did not change over 90 years.
Cheers,
/s/ ikeyPikey
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Zing!
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06:55:16pm
Just one word - WOW!
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here is an interesting article that came through on Facebook.
Regards ... Tim
http://hyperallergic.com/252028/wax-seals-and-refused-love-in-a-17th-century-trunk-of-undelivered-letters/
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re: Wax Seals and Refused Love in a 17th-Century
That is very interesting. Thanks for posting this!
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re: Wax Seals and Refused Love in a 17th-Century
Wow, what a treasure trove that is. I can't believe it has been undisturbed all these years. Should be a great insight into everyday life for that era, including the refused love letter.
Mike
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re: Wax Seals and Refused Love in a 17th-Century
It has been in the news over here quite prominently. it seems the postmaster kept the letters in the hope that some day the recipients would change their mind and wanted the letters they had refused. He called the chest his "piggy bank".
The weirdest thing of the whole story to me is the fact that the chest had been in the museum since 1926, with all the letters in sight and yet noone decided to read the letters. Of course, reading 17th century French handwriting is pretty difficult, but nevertheless. Now the most important feature of this discovery is not the content of the letters, but the letters themselves. The fact that they have remained unopened and are still intricately folded is the real sensation to most scholars.
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
12 Nov 2015
10:56:53am
re: Wax Seals and Refused Love in a 17th-Century
" .... The weirdest thing of the whole story to me is the fact that the chest had been in the museum since 1926, with all the letters in sight and yet no one decided to read the letters. ...."
I guess we should be glad they were, as I can imagine someone tearing them open looking for something of value. Once in a while we come upon someone who has a few 19th century stamps that were removed from letters in a relative's trunk that had been found in the dusty back corner of the attic, by being steamed or soaked off.
Some of the stamps may have been common and a few might have some premium but those who appreciate history ache at the thought of what the "entire' would have fetched.
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re: Wax Seals and Refused Love in a 17th-Century
"The weirdest thing of the whole story to me is the fact that the chest had been in the museum since 1926, with all the letters in sight and yet noone decided to read the letters."
Every day, the museum staff would come to work and face the same question (what do to about that trunk) and the same facts (don't want to damage the goods, don't have anyone demanding action, 3D Xray Tomography has not been invented yet) and would reach the same conclusion (leave it for tomorrow).
Even the one fact that did change (the trunk has been here N-thousand days, the trunk has been here N-thousand-plus-one days) might not convey urgency.
As the article points out, people's concerns haven't changed that much ...
"“What is striking to me is the fact that so many of the concerns expressed in these really old letters are just the same as today: parents worried about their children, wives angry at delinquent husbands, and colleagues who keep in touch with each other over time and distance,†Ahrendt told Hyperallergic."
... and the museum's behavior did not change over 90 years.
Cheers,
/s/ ikeyPikey
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re: Wax Seals and Refused Love in a 17th-Century
Zing!
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A Service Dog gives a person with a disability independence. Never approach, distract or pet a working dog, especially when (s)he is in harness. Never be afraid to ask questions to the handler (parent).
12 Nov 2015
06:55:16pm
re: Wax Seals and Refused Love in a 17th-Century
Just one word - WOW!
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